Prayer: Level Up?

I'm currently reading "After You Drop Them Off" by Jeramy Clark (a book written to parents from a youth pastor about the heart of youth ministry), and came across an unique listing of "levels" of prayer.

It's not the first list like this that I've seen.  TV Thomas, a friend and teacher I greatly respect, had developed a similar progression of prayer that I've used in the past when teaching on the topic.

The "levels" are best seen as stepping stones toward maturity in the discipline of prayer, rather than a measure of some type of accession in mastery as might be implied by the title.


Here is the list Clark presents:

Level One: Prayer as "Wishing"
- like throwing a coin in a fountain

Level Two: Prayer as "Hoping"
- a confidence that God might be listening

Level Three: Prayer as "Believing"
- a trust that God will do something when we pray

Level Four: Prayer as "Overcoming"
- we trust God's work and know His will is perfect


Progressions like this are helpful when we talk time to consider how we might currently describe our understanding and/or practice of prayer.  They are also helpful when we take time to reflect where we've been and where we expect to grow to in our disciple of prayer.

How do you feel about this type of list?  Where would you fall in the continuum?